Verna Jeannette Fulsaas, daughter of Nickolai and Anna (Belgum) Fulsaas, was born February 3, 1918 at Petersburg, NE. She grew up on a farm east of Petersburg, attended Petersburg Public School and graduated from Petersburg High School with the class of 1936.

On June 3, 1936, she was united in marriage to Robert Benda. The couple made their home in Chambers, California, and later on a farm east of Petersburg. To this union, four children were born. Verna started as a nurse’s aide and later went to nursing school and in the spring of 1970, she graduated as a LPN.

On August 29, 1970, her husband died while erecting a building on the farm. Shortly after his death, she moved to Neligh, NE to continue working as a nurse. On December 10, 1971, she was married to Frank Farnik of Verdigre, NE. She moved to a farm near Verdigre and later they moved to town. Frank passed away February 8, 1999. Verna lived in Verdigre for a few years before moving back to Petersburg, where she resided in the cottages before entering the Good Samaritan Wolf Home in Albion on April 4, 2007.

Verna is survived by her four children: Robert Jr. (LeAnn) of Prague, NE; Koreen Kay of Bloomfield, NE; Noel Thomas (Judy) and David Paul (Delores) both of Petersburg, NE; 19 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; a sister-in-law; a brother-in-law; and a daughter-in-law.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, her parents, four sisters and three brothers.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Raeville, NE, with Reverend Ross Burkhalter officiating. Interment followed in the parish cemetery.